TAP Lets You Type On Any Surface, Looks Like A Weapon

There are devices that aim to deliver the utmost convenience in our digital lives. Some of them, however, could give security personnel a fit, like bags with hidden pockets for electronics, particularly batteries, and rings that are too large to be innocent. While this TAP wearable is actually made from soft, flexible textile, it might very well look like a knuckle weapon at first glance or from a distance. It may, however, be worth the odd glance or interrogation, as the odd-looking contraption will let you type on smartphones, computers, TVs, and even smartwatches, all without a keyboard.

It isn't magic, of course. At its very core, TAP is a combination of sensors embedded in flexible material and software that interprets motion data into patterns that are then translated into letters. That combination isn't exactly easy to pull off, especially the software part, which still gives TAP an edge over other novel input methods.

The usual problem with invisible, one-hand typing methods is that they are quite unorthodox. Typing on virtual keyboards usually require seeing letters, numbers, and symbols. While touch typing on physical keyboards or even T9 numpads doesn't exactly require visibility, it requires memorization of a standard set of keys arranged in a standard order. TAP has neither of those conventions, but creators Tap Systems promise that it will only take an hour for any user to learn how to type fluidly with TAP. That's by playing the TapGenius Game that will help you memorize the needed patterns. Curiously, TAP's FAQ mentions that the game is available on iOS, even though TAP is also compatible with Android.

In fact, TAP can be used on any device that has a Bluetooth connection and supports Bluetooth keyboards. That includes the usual culprits of smartphones, tablets, and PCs, but also some Smart TVs as well. You can only pair one TAP to one device at a time, so you'll either need one TAP per device or will have to routinely pair and unpair it for every different device that you want to use. However, you can actually pair two TAPs to one device, which will somewhat simulate typing on a keyboard. You can type on any solid surface, be it a table, a bike handle bar, your lap, or even your head. It's curious that air typing isn't supported, though that can get pretty tiring after some time anyway.

Not yet convinced? There's still some time to digest the idea of tap typing on nothing and anything. TAP is currently still undergoing a very small beta testing phase in the San Francisco Bay area and isn't scheduled to launch until near the end of the year.

SOURCE: TAP